GK Question

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In Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. Hon'ble Speaker Manipur Legislative Assembly (2020), the Supreme Court emphasized that disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule must be decided by the Speaker within a ______ time, failing which courts may intervene.

  1. fixed statutory
  2. reasonable
  3. immediate
  4. 6-month

Answer: reasonable

Keisham Meghachandra Singh case (2020): SC held: (a) Speaker must decide Tenth Schedule disqualification petitions within reasonable time (suggested 3 months), (b) Unreasonable delay undermines anti-defection law's deterrent effect, (c) Courts can intervene if delay causes irreversible harm (e.g., defector appointed Minister), (d) However, no fixed statutory timeframe in Tenth Schedule; Parliament urged to amend. Highlights implementation gap in anti-defection law; pending reforms to address Speaker bias and delayed decisions.

Topic Anti-Defection Law - Recent Judicial Clarifications
Exam Relevance Anti-defection law implementation question critical for UPSC Mains and current affairs exams
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